Shell with booster charge support and fuze threaded at the interior thereof



tates atent lnventor Ferdinand lrion,

28 Hohtalstrasse, 5400 Baden, Switzerland Appl. No. 786,514 Filed Sept. 10, 1968 Continuation-impart of Ser. No. 614,577, Feb. 8, 1967, abandoned (Filed under Rule 47th) and 35 U.S.C. 118) Patented Oct. 6, 1970 Priority Feb. 11, 1966 Switzerland 1,970/66 SHELL WITH BOOSTER CHARGE SUPPORT AND FUZE THREADED AT THE INTERIOR THEREOF 3 Claims, 2 Drawing Figs.

U.S. Cl 102/52, 102/56 Int. Cl ..F42b 11/14, F42b 13/04, F42b 13/12 Field of Search 102/52, 56

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 272,052 2/1883 Hotchkiss 102/56 2,419,414 4/1947 Mohaupt 102/56 2,728,296 12/1955 Meister 102/56X 2,848,947 8/1958 Latham 102/56 Primary ExaminerBenjamin A. Borchelt Assistant Examiner-Charles T. Jordan AnorneyWenderoth, Lind and Ponack ABSTRACT: A shell, especially a tank shell with an explosive charge in a coaxial bore of the projectile body open towards the rear. This explosive charge is supported towards the rear by a supporting body carrying a booster charge. The supporting body is screwed into a thread of the bore and is displaceable in the direction of the axis and closes the bore behind the explosive charge and the booster charge and in front of the rear surface of the projectile body. An igniter is screwed into the bore of the projectile body abutting the rear surface to close sealingly the shell behind the support body.

SHELL WITllll BOOSTER CHARGE SUPPORT AND FUZE THREADED AT THE INTERIOR THEREOF This application is a continuation-in-part of my application Ser. No. 6l4,577, filed Feb. 8, 1967, now abandoned, entitled A Shell Having a Booster Charge Support and a Fuze Threaded at the Interior ofthe Shell.

This invention relates to a projectile particularly a tank shell.

An object of the invention is to provide a projectile having a bore in which is placed an explosive charge with the explosive charge supported by a container having the booster charge and the projectile being closed at the rear by a fuze casing having the igniter.

An object of the invention is to provide a shell in which the container carrying the booster charge is screwed into the thread of-the bore of the projectile body.

A further object is to provide a construction wherein the container supporting the explosive charge can be mounted without the igniter and thereby can be brought in such a way to the supporting surface of the explosive charge that the surface pressure being necessary for the support can be obtained on the same.

A further object is to provide a shell in which the container between the explosive charge and the igniter is displaceable axially.

A still further object is to provide a shell so that during a steady position of the igniter being determined by its impact on the rear surface towards the projectile body, a support of the explosive charge is also possible for variable volumes of the same.

A further object is to provide a shell in which the container closes the explosive charge and booster charge in the bore of the projectile body towards the rear and the igniter closes the shell sealingly.

With the above and other objects in view which will become apparent from the detailed description below, two preferred embodiments of the invention are shown in the drawings in which:

FIG. I is an elevational view with parts in cross section of a first embodiment; and

FIG. 2 is a partial view partly in elevation and cross section illustrating a second embodiment.

According to FIG. 1 a projectile body 1 extending along the longitudinal axis of the projectile, for instance a tank grenade, is limited by a rear surface. which is formed as a bearing surface. The projectile body I is provided with an axial bore 2 open towards the rear, which is cylindrical in the rear part and is provided with a thread 23. The front part of bore 2 narrows from the diameter of the cylindrical part conically and is smooth-walled.

Into the front part of bore 2 an explosive charge 4 is placed which is provided with a coaxial hollow space 8 open towards the rear. An annular rear limitation surface 12 of the explosive charge 4 is covered with a felt ring 11 which forms a supporting surface for the explosive charge 4. Into thread 23 of bore 2 a cylindrical supporting body 5 is screwed. The latter is provided with a bottom 17 located somewhat deep in its body having a thin-walled part 20.

The part of the body 5 protruding towards the front above the bottom 17 is sleeve-like and forms a container 7 open towards the front. In this container 7 a booster charge Q is located consisting of a secondary explosive charge, for instance Pentrit (pentaerythritol tetranitrate) which is covered by a lid 10 placed into the opening of the container 7. The container 7 whose exterior diameter is slightly smaller than the diameter of the hollow space 8 extends through the felt ring 11 into the hollow space 8 of the explosive charge 5.

Located at about the height of the bottom of the container 7 the supporting body 5 is provided with a shoulder 6 having a diameter corresponding to the diameter of bore 2 and which abuts the felt ring 11 of the explosive charge 4 and supports the same towards the rear. The bore 2 of the projectile body 1 is closed towards the rear by a fuze casing 14 of an igniter 13 extending along the longitudinal axis of the projectile.

Fuze casing 14 is provided over its length on its circumference with a flange-like bulge 22 with an impact surface 21 directed towards the front and turned into the diameter of bore 2. Fuze casing 14 at its front part is provided from its impact surface 21 to a shoulder 25 with an exterior thread 24 corresponding to thread 23 of bore 2 and is screwed to projectile body 1. The impact surface 21 of the fuze casing 14 abuts the rear surface 3 of the projectile body 1, and the shoulder 25 of fuze casing 14 has an axial play 26 towards the supporting body Sin bore 2.

The forward part of the fuze casing 14 from the shoulder 25 extends with a front 18 into the support body 5 and is spaced axially from bottom 17 of support body 5 to form an intermediate space 19. The front 18 is perforated by a bore 16. In fuze casing 14 a primer cap 15 is located larger in diameter than the bore 16, which supports itself towards the front at the edge of the bore 16 in front 18. The portion 20 in the bottom 17 of the support body 5 in front of the primer capsule 15 of the igniter 13 has been determined so thin that by detonating the primer capsule 15 the booster charge 9 is ignited through this part 20 and thereby starts the detonation of the explosive charge 4.

In the second embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2 similar parts have been given the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment.

According to FIG. 2 in the front part of the projectile body 1 an explosive charge 27 is inserted which is provided towards the rear with a level limiting surface 28 covered with a felt disc 29 which forms a supporting surface for the explosive charge 27. In the container 7' of the support body Sin the bore 2 there is a booster charge 30 which does not fill the container 7'. Booster charge 30 is covered by a disc 31 consisting of aluminum, on which is placed a spacing ring 32 consisting of cardboard and which occupies the interior diameter of the container 7'. Spacing ring 32 extends towards the front beyond the opening of the container 7' and abuts the felt disc 29. Container 7' and thereby support body 5' are spaced a distance 33 from the felt disc 29. Support body 5'supports the explosive charge 27 via the spacing ring 32 and the booster 30 towards the rear of the projectile body 1.

This second embodiment has on one hand the advantage over the first embodiment of a simplified construction for the explosive charge and on the other hand provides a further possibility to vary the volume of the explosive charge or/and the booster charge.

The spacing 33 between the support body 5 and the felt disc 29 is gradually changeable according to a scale of standardized thicknesses for spacing ring 32. The construction of spacing ring 32 connected with a change in grade of the distance on felt disc 29 within the limitations of this grade may then be accomplished by an axial displacement of support body S'in bore 2.

I claim:

I. A projectile comprising a body extending along an axis having a coaxial bore open towards the rear, said body having a front part, an interiorly threaded rear part and a rear surface being formed as a bearing surface, an explosive charge placed in said front part having a rear supporting surface; a fuze casing screwed into said threaded part having an annular impact surface directed towards the front abutting said bearing surface to close sealingly said bore, an axially displaceable supporting body in said bore located between said explosive charge and said fuze casing, said supporting body having an abutting shoulder extending around said container supporting said rear supporting surface, a container in said supporting body open towards the front having a booster charge therein.

2. A projectile as claimed in claim 1 wherein said supporting body is located in front of the rear surface of said body closing that part of said bore containing said explosive charge and said booster charge.

3. A shell comprising a shell body extending longitudinally along an axis having a bore provided with a threaded portion open to the rear, a stop at the rear of said shell body, an explosive charge in said bore having a rear supporting surface, a

threaded portion to the rear of said supporting body axially adjustable with relation to said supporting body to proper firing position, said fuze casing sealing the rear end of said shell body against said stop. 

